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SCHS Studies
NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
A Special Report Series by the State Center for Health Statistics
1908 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N. C. 27699- 1908
North Carolina Public Health www. schs. state. nc. us/ SCHS/
No. 129 January 2002
Healthy Life Expectancy in North Carolina, 1996- 2000
by
Paul A. Buescher, Ph. D.
Ziya Gizlice, Ph. D.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: Life tables have traditionally been used to estimate life expectancy at birth and at other
ages. This study combines the life table methodology with measures of morbidity or ill health to cal-culate
healthy life expectancy for the population of North Carolina.
Methods: We use 1996- 2000 mortality data to calculate life expectancies for North Carolinians and
then add 1993- 2000 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System ( BRFSS) to estimate,
by age, average years of life remaining in good perceived health, in good physical health, in good
mental health, and without activity limitation. These estimates are produced for the total population,
males, females, whites, minorities, white males, white females, minority males, and minority females.
Results: The overall life expectancy at birth in North Carolina is 75.6 years. Females live longer than
males and whites live longer than persons of minority race. The average life expectancy at birth is
73.8 years for white males, 79.6 years for white females, 68.0 years for minority males, and 75.8 years
for minority females. The average years of healthy life remaining at birth ( based on perceived health
status) is 63.0. This means that 12.6 of the 75.6 years of life expectancy will be spent in a state where
health status is perceived to be fair or poor. Females and minorities spend a higher number of their
remaining years of life with perceived physical or mental health problems or some activity limitation.
The average number of years from birth with health status perceived as fair or poor is 10.6 for white
males, 13.0 for white females, 14.7 for minority males, and 16.5 for minority females.
Conclusions: Combining mortality and morbidity data provides a means of calculating healthy life
expectancy. As the population of North Carolina ages, the burden of disease is likely to increase. The
method presented here allows for regular updates of healthy life expectancy, using mortality and BRFSS
data, which are collected each year at the state level.
Acknowledgment: The authors would like to thank David G. Moriarty, B. S. E. E. of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention for important contributions to this study.

SCHS Studies
NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
A Special Report Series by the State Center for Health Statistics
1908 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N. C. 27699- 1908
North Carolina Public Health www. schs. state. nc. us/ SCHS/
No. 129 January 2002
Healthy Life Expectancy in North Carolina, 1996- 2000
by
Paul A. Buescher, Ph. D.
Ziya Gizlice, Ph. D.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: Life tables have traditionally been used to estimate life expectancy at birth and at other
ages. This study combines the life table methodology with measures of morbidity or ill health to cal-culate
healthy life expectancy for the population of North Carolina.
Methods: We use 1996- 2000 mortality data to calculate life expectancies for North Carolinians and
then add 1993- 2000 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System ( BRFSS) to estimate,
by age, average years of life remaining in good perceived health, in good physical health, in good
mental health, and without activity limitation. These estimates are produced for the total population,
males, females, whites, minorities, white males, white females, minority males, and minority females.
Results: The overall life expectancy at birth in North Carolina is 75.6 years. Females live longer than
males and whites live longer than persons of minority race. The average life expectancy at birth is
73.8 years for white males, 79.6 years for white females, 68.0 years for minority males, and 75.8 years
for minority females. The average years of healthy life remaining at birth ( based on perceived health
status) is 63.0. This means that 12.6 of the 75.6 years of life expectancy will be spent in a state where
health status is perceived to be fair or poor. Females and minorities spend a higher number of their
remaining years of life with perceived physical or mental health problems or some activity limitation.
The average number of years from birth with health status perceived as fair or poor is 10.6 for white
males, 13.0 for white females, 14.7 for minority males, and 16.5 for minority females.
Conclusions: Combining mortality and morbidity data provides a means of calculating healthy life
expectancy. As the population of North Carolina ages, the burden of disease is likely to increase. The
method presented here allows for regular updates of healthy life expectancy, using mortality and BRFSS
data, which are collected each year at the state level.
Acknowledgment: The authors would like to thank David G. Moriarty, B. S. E. E. of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention for important contributions to this study.